


stranger (not) danger

by carefulren



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, First Meetings, Infinity war?, Iron Dad, IronStrange, M/M, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Sick Character, Sick Tony, Sickfic, Whump, Whumpfic, bc i can, catch me ignoring infinity war, spider son, who's she??
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-16
Updated: 2018-05-16
Packaged: 2019-05-07 23:49:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14682078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carefulren/pseuds/carefulren
Summary: Tony's sick, and he just wants to work in peace.But, that proves to be difficult when a stranger in a cape shows up outside of his tower.(aka, an alternative first meeting for stephen and tony)





	stranger (not) danger

_“Sir?”_

Tony looks up from his tablet with a loud sniffle, and he cocks his head in muted annoyance, waiting for FRIDAY to continue.

_“There’s a strange man in a cape outside.”_

Blinking slowly, Tony takes a minute to decide whether his fever is playing tricks on his muddled brain or if he actually heard FRIDAY claim of a caped man outside his tower.

_“He is threatening to use sorcery to get inside.”_

Tony’s sure it’s a prank; this wouldn’t be the first time someone showed up dressed in a silly costume and claiming to be the newest super hero of the town, but he doesn’t have the patience to deal with it, not with this headache blooming behind his eyes in heated thumps.

“Is the kid still here?”

_“Yes. Peter is pretending to do homework in the first floor conference room.”_

With a knowing roll of his eyes, Tony turns back to his tablet with a sigh. “Then send him to deal with it.”

*****

It’s only ten minutes until Tony’s being interrupted once more, and his aggravation is rising to worrisome heights.

_“I apologize, Sir, but it appears the guest has Peter restrained.”_

Tony’s brows shoot up in visible surprise. “Restrained?” He repeats around a weak cough.

_“Yes, with the cape.”_

Tony can feel his eye twitch, irritation pulling across his face. “How the hell is the kid restrained by a piece of fabric?”

_“I’m…. not quite sure, Sir. But, Peter cannot get free, and he is minutes away from respiratory distress.”_

Tony didn’t think it could be possible, but his headache intensified, sending electric waves of pounding heat all the way to his temples. A raspy sigh slips from his lips as he sets his tablet down, and he mutters a few curse words under his breath as he exits the room and starts toward the conference room.

*****

His steps are heavy and unsteady as he walks off the elevator to the first floor. His vision is swimming slightly, and he’s sweating despite the temperature-controlled tower.

All he wanted was a quiet day to do some mundane paper work of the sorts, but instead he’s got a freak in a cape who is two seconds away from making him snap like a weak twig on a forest ground.

When he reaches the conference room, he shoves both doors open with a piercing glance, but he stops in his tracks when he spots Peter on the floor, desperately wriggling to free himself with no avail. And not too far, seated at one end of the large conference table, is a man, looking close to Tony’s age, sitting with his elbows perched on the table and his fingers pressed into a steeple in front of his mouth.

“Mr. Stark, I presume?”

Tony drags an icy, dangerous gaze toward the man. “What the hell is this?” He questions harshly, a few coughs sneaking past his lips as he gestures toward Peter.

“Your Spider Boy tried to shoot a web at my face.”

“Spider-Man,” Peter grunts out through clenched teeth, and Tony drops his hand, fingers curling into a fist at his side.

“Let him go.”

There’s power behind his voice, a wave of authority that pushes past the congestion, past the raw burning coating the back of his throat, and the man catches on, only nodding to the cape, that responds by unraveling itself from Peter and flying back to him.

Tony watches with arched brows just as Peter scrambles to his feet with a few gasping coughs.

“You asshole–”

“Peter,” Tony interrupts, not moving his eyes from the man. “Go upstairs for a while.”

When Tony doesn’t hear Peter leave, he spares a glance back to see Peter looking at him, a counter-argument hot on his tongue, but Tony only shakes his head and nods to the door. Peter is reluctant, but he listens and stalks out of the room, and Tony watches the door close before dragging a flat, aggravated gaze back to the man.

“Two things,” Tony starts as he takes a seat at the other end of the table. “Tell me who the hell you are and what the hell you want.”

“Doctor Stephen Strange,” the man starts. “I’ve reason to believe there’s a potentially dangerous entity seeking attack in a town forty miles south of here.”

Tony leans forward and drops his elbows onto the cool table top with a slight shiver and a weak cough. He tilts his head to the right as his eyes scan the man for some hidden, cracked point he can hone in on.

“So, what are you? A wizard or something?”

“Sorcerer,” Stephen says flatly. “And a highly acclaimed member of the Masters of Mystic Arts.”

“Sounds like some World of War Craft bullshit,” Tony grumbles, and a hint of a smile plays on Stephen’s lips right before he blinks out of the chair, appearing not a second later by Tony, leaning against the table beside Tony’s chair with his arms crossed.

Tony’s surprised, interested, and he’s got a million questions burning on his tongue, but this guy has an attitude. “Was that supposed to impress me?” He asks, ignoring his curiosity for now.

Stephen doesn’t say anything. Instead, he reaches over and smooths a large palm across Tony’s forehead, one that Tony swats away with a huff.

“You have a fever.”

“Wow, how astute of you. Did you look into a crystal ball to find that out?”

Stephen ignores this; he only tilts his head with a breath of concern coloring his face. “I’m a doctor, Stark.” He pauses, taking in Tony’s flushed cheeks and shaking shoulders, leaving Tony clenching his jaw to stop his teeth from chattering.

“You’re flushed, shaking, and your throat sounds as if it’s been through a cheese grater. Anyone can see that.”

Tony is about to let his anger unfold, but he stops short when the damned cape flutters over to him and drapes gently over his shoulders, offering a weighted warmth that Tony finds oddly safe.

“My best guess is the flu.”

“Well, I didn’t ask for your best guess,” Tony starts, only half-trying to shrug the cape off. “So, if you would take this fucking cape and get out of my tower, I’ll do my best not to sick the Hulk on you.”

Stephen only starts out of the room, saying nothing, and Tony follows after with narrowed eyes.

“Where are you going?”

“To find a medical area so I can treat you.”

“I don’t need–” Tony tries, but his lungs give way to a coughing fit that has him hunched over and hacking into his fist.

_“Sir, Doctor Strange is right to treat you. Your temperature has elevated to 103.4 degrees Fahrenheit.”_

Stephen looks around, a bright look of surprise on his face. “That voice is correct. The flu can be quite dangerous at your age.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Tony rasps out around a few lingering coughs, but Stephen ignores him in favor of following the directions to the medbay FRIDAY offers without permission.

Tony wants to fight back, to grab this guy and drag him out of the tower, but the cape is pushing him along, and he has no choice but to follow up until he’s being gently guided to a bed in the medbay.

“Once you are well, we can talk business regarding this growing threat.”

“Business?” Tony croaks out, blinking hard against his headache.

“Yes, business. I would like for us to be partners, Mr. Stark.”

**Author's Note:**

> We are pretending IW doesn't exist... 
> 
> This is my first fic writing Stephen, so let me know in the comments if you like it and want more or nah
> 
> Also, come say hi on tumblr! (@toosicktoocare)


End file.
